Hi all-- We have a real tempest brewing in Mich, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Bill Hoffman (who has
enough of a real life that he doesn't do UseNet) put it much more eloquently than I can; his words
are below. (Bill is the guy who routinely attends League board meetings at his own time and expense.
He's also traveled to HQ to watch as election ballots are counted; something tells me this is one
that he should not miss.) Note that the candidate being touted and advertised by some members of the
board of directors lists his cycling experience as "our bikes accompany us on family vacations up
north, to Mackinac Island, and on our annual fishing trip in Canada." This message was sent to folks
who are commuters, people who ride their bikes *to* the straits of Mackinac, and others who more
often than not take the bikes off the roofrack to ride them. The guy I voted for, Fred Oswald, is an
Effective Cycling instructor, year-round commuter in the Cleveland ares (any snowfall there??), and
a regular at local government meetings. He recently brought a weird law to the attention of
legislators in a local jurisdiction, and they promptly changed it. --Karen M.
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To LAB members in Region 4 (IL, IN, MI, OH):
Within the past week you probably received a mailing from "the Committee to Elect Mark Terman." It
contained a letter signed by seven LAB Directors, a ballot, and a return envelope. Whether or not
you have not already voted in this election, I ask you to read the following.
In 32 years as a League member, I have never seen any Director, or group of Directors, play so fast
and loose with the rules governing Board elections. Their letter tells you that you don't need to
supply your membership number when filling out your ballot. This is in direct opposition to the
instructions in the 2003 Almanac, which contained the ballot. The membership number is the means by
which LAB ensures that each member votes only once, and that all those voting are in fact eligible.
Changing the rules in the middle of an election is unethical, if not outright illegal.
This mailing is clearly a desperate, last-minute attempt by these seven Directors to salvage the
campaign of a weak candidate, the one proposed by the Nominating Committee and approved by the full
Board. Consider what Mr. Terman wrote in the letter about his cycling experience: "From my childhood
and teen years, my bicycle was my primary form of transportation and outdoor activity." That's true
for most kids-—big deal. "Now bicycling and walking are my main forms of physical activity." Again,
true for many people. But just how much, and what kind, of cycling does he do? One would expect
that, if he's an active cyclist, that fact would be mentioned. But it wasn't. "Our bikes always
accompany us on our family vacations." Do the bikes actually get used during vacations, or just
accompany his family?
There's nothing in the letter stating what Mark Terman has done in the past to help bicyclists, only
a vague general statement (ghost-written by the "Committee", perhaps?) as to what he'll do if
elected. Even long-time cycling education and advocacy leaders in his own state have never heard of
him! Why, then, was he nominated? I can only assume it's because he may have contacts to
deep-pocketed organizations that could be tapped to fund LAB's misdirected advocacy efforts.
Now compare Mark Terman's self-described cycling record to Fred Oswald's. Fred has commuted to work
most days year-round for many years in a large metropolitan area-—Cleveland. That means that he
rides on major roads in heavy traffic, and in darkness during the winter. Fred is a League Cycling
Instructor. I observed him when he took his LCI training. He demonstrated a deep understanding of
vehicular cycling principles and showed excellent performance on his bike. His work on model
bicycling laws has led to important improvements in several Cleveland suburbs that formerly had
serious restrictions on cycling. Fred is on the board of the Ohio Bicycle Federation. While we can
only guess about Mark Terman's cycling activities, Fred's cycling habits, knowledge, and
contributions are well known, and will be brought to bear for the benefit of League members.
Please forward this message to other League members you know in Region
4. And if you have not voted, please vote for Fred Oswald, who has worked and will continue to work
for programs that benefit the kinds of cyclists the League represents. Be sure to put your
membership number (it's on the mailing label of your LAB magazine, just above your name) on your
ballot. I can assure you that ballots submitted without this number will be challenged. Your
ballot must be postmarked by April 15.
It's unfortunate that Mr. Terman has to bear the brunt of such negativism, but the onus for that
rests squarely with the LAB Nominating Committee, Board, and especially these seven Directors.
However, the outrageous action by the "Committee to Elect Mark Terman" cannot go unchallenged. The
seven Directors who signed the letter should resign immediately. They have violated League
election procedures in several ways, and have destroyed the trust the members have a right to have
in the Board.
Bill Hoffman Lancaster, PA 17601-2852
LAB Member since 1971; Life Member #34 (since 1976); LAB volunteer 1972-Dec., 2002
ECI/LCI #33 (since 1980); Member of LAB Education Committee 1994-2002; chair 1996-2000
LAB Regional Director 1974-82 and 2001-02; Board Secretary 1974-76 and 1979, Treasurer 1977-78
Rally Advisor c. 1978-90 (position eliminated about 1990)
Touring Information Director for NY 1976-90; for PA 1990-97? (program eliminated about 1997); chair
of Touring Information Committee c. 1992-97